Coffee

From the bean to the cup

How do you prefer to start your day? Many people like to greet the morning with a cup of a freshly brewed coffee. The coffee aroma alone can sometimes have an invigorating effect. Its full-bodied flavour turns it into a joyous event that can be celebrated to the full, experiencing centuries-old coffee culture at your fingertips. You can also support the taste sensation visually with a pretty coffee cup and a luscious crema.

Coffee – pick-me-up and indulgence in one. Before this much-loved hot drink lands in your cup, it has already covered some distance, which we will depict in this article. Step into the world of coffee and find out more about coffee varieties, cultivation and roasts – and naturally the many ways of making this aromatic drink.

Coffee cherries: the flavour foundation

Cappuccino, espresso, mocha or simply a filter coffee? The foundation of all coffee specialities are coffee beans, which are then ground into coffee powder. Contrary to what the name implies, coffee beans do not have much in common with beans. In fact, a coffee bean is the seed of the Coffea coffee plant. The evergreen shrubs and trees produce bright red fruits called coffee cherries. They contain two seeds – the coffee beans, which have a characteristic flavour depending on the type.

Coffee cherries: the flavour foundation

Cappuccino, espresso, mocha or simply a filter coffee? The foundation of all coffee specialities are coffee beans, which are then ground into coffee powder. Contrary to what the name implies, coffee beans do not have much in common with beans. In fact, a coffee bean is the seed of the Coffea coffee plant. The evergreen shrubs and trees produce bright red fruits called coffee cherries. They contain two seeds – the coffee beans, which have a characteristic flavour depending on the type.

Coffee varieties

The supermarket shelves present coffee in all its many forms – a wide range of coffee varieties with their own unique flavours. The majority of coffee varieties can be attributed to two different botanical species of coffee plants: Coffea arabica and robusta, a subspecies of Coffea canephora.

Arabica

Arabica beans hold the highest share in the coffee market, roughly 70%. They grow best at high altitudes, from about 1000 metres, and rely on a stable climate. The coffee cherries need a lot of time to ripen, about nine to eleven months. The coffee beans have a richer flavour. Arabica beans react sensitively to pests so crop failures are not uncommon.

Robusta

Not the case with Robusta beans. In contrast to their sensitive relatives, they are much more robust when it comes to pests as well as climatic conditions. Therefore, the lowlands as well as regions with strong temperature fluctuations are suitable for growing Robusta. Robusta beans develop an earthy, less-acidic flavour and contain about twice as much caffeine as Arabica.

Other coffee varieties such as Liberica with a particularly high caffeine content, Excelsa with a distinct earthy flavour and Kopi Luwak, the most expensive coffee of all as it passes through the intestines of viverrids for its characteristic flavour, only make up a vanishingly low share of coffee varieties available.

COFFEE CULTIVATION

COFFEE CULTIVATION

Plantations and forest gardens

Whether Brazil, Vietnam or Columbia: coffee is cultivated around the equator, the “coffee belt”. Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world, accounting for about 34% of global coffee production. And it's hardly surprising – as the climate offers the best conditions for growing coffee. Arabica and Robusta coffee shrubs flourish in monoculture coffee plantations in the Brazilian sun. The Brazilian coffee varieties are known for their balanced, full-bodied flavour.

Coffee cultivation is different in Ethiopia – the original home of coffee. Coffee still grows in mainly traditional forest gardens run by smallholders in the Ethiopian highlands. The Arabica shrubs sprout here under the shade of high trees. The mixed forest has proven to offer natural protection against pests. Fertiliser and pesticides are not necessary in these forest gardens. The red coffee cherries are harvested when they are completely ripe – and then individually by hand.

Coffee roasting: refining the bean

The distinctive coffee aroma unfolds when the raw coffee is subject to a refining process – known as coffee roasting. To do so, the green coffee beans are dry-heated and go through numerous processes, which release the numerous aromatic substances from the raw beans and give them their typical colouring. This is why roasting coffee and especially the roast level influence both flavour and aroma as well as the look of this pick-me-up.

Coffee roasting:refining the bean

The distinctive coffee aroma unfolds when the raw coffee is subject to a refining process – known as coffee roasting. To do so, the green coffee beans are dry-heated and go through numerous processes, which release the numerous aromatic substances from the raw beans and give them their typical colouring. This is why roasting coffee and especially the roast level influence both flavour and aroma as well as the look of this pick-me-up.

Light roast

The coffee beans are roasted until the heat makes them crack for the first time. They have a light yellow to beige colour and are reminiscent of cinnamon. This is why this roast level is also known as the cinnamon roast. It has a fruity and acidic flavour, the origin character of coffee is still preserved.

Medium roast

The coffee beans are light brown to medium brown in colour, have a balanced taste with a typically bitter flavour.

Dark roast

Coffee beans at this roast level have been heated until the second crack. Furthermore, the long roasting process releases the oils in the beans, which gives them their light shine. The caffeine content also diminishes. The colour spectrum ranges from dark brown to black. The taste is characterised by a smoky aroma with a touch of chocolate.

Light roast

The coffee beans are roasted until the heat makes them crack for the first time. They have a light yellow to beige colour and are reminiscent of cinnamon. This is why this roast level is also known as the cinnamon roast. It has a fruity and acidic flavour, the origin character of coffee is still preserved.

Medium roast

The coffee beans are light brown to medium brown in colour, have a balanced taste with a typically bitter flavour.

Dark roast

Coffee beans at this roast level have been heated until the second crack. Furthermore, the long roasting process releases the oils in the beans, which gives them their light shine. The caffeine content also diminishes. The colour spectrum ranges from dark brown to black. The taste is characterised by a smoky aroma with a touch of chocolate.

PREPARTION METHODS

A lifestyle expression

After the coffee beans have been roasted and given their typical look and flavour, they are then ground and used to prepare the invigorating hot drink. But this is where opinions differ, as the numerous coffee preparation methods clearly show. It’s been said that the way you make your coffee expresses your personal lifestyle. So, how do you prefer your coffee? You will find a selection of different preparation methods below:

French press or cafetière

This is a quick and simple preparation method where ground coffee is dissolved in hot water and then pressed by a metal sieve, which acts as filter.

Karlsbad coffee maker

Probably the most beautiful way to make coffee where the joy of coffee meets aesthetics. With the Karlsbad coffee maker, ground coffee is filtered through a tasteless porcelain filter.

Machine preparation

Automatic coffee machines can conjure up the desired coffee speciality at the touch of a button and top it with a wonderful crema, depending on the model.

Turkish coffee

This is probably the oldest coffee preparation method in the world and is in fact the only method where coffee is cooked. To make Turkish mocha, the ground coffee is brought to the boil in a small pot, the ibrik.

Filter coffee

The classic among the preparation methods is still the most popular way to enjoy coffee in Germany. The heated water drips through the ground coffee in the filter.

Moka pot

Italian-style coffee preparation: Water is heated in the moka pot until the steam forces the water through the ground coffee into the top chamber.

Turkish coffee

This is probably the oldest coffee preparation method in the world and is in fact the only method where coffee is cooked. To make Turkish mocha, the ground coffee is brought to the boil in a small pot, the ibrik.

Filter coffee

The classic among the preparation methods is still the most popular way to enjoy coffee in Germany. The heated water drips through the ground coffee in the filter.

Moka pot

Italian-style coffee preparation: Water is heated in the moka pot until the steam forces the water through the ground coffee into the top chamber.

And now it’s time for a cuppa!

Whatever preparation method you prefer to kick start your day – simply enjoy. Served in one of our stylish coffee cups, you can enjoy your coffee with all your senses and create a small haven of peace for you to recharge your batteries, and that at any time of the day.